Technical Field
This invention relates generally to protective apparel, and more particularly to protective apparel components suitable for use with medical gowns.
Background Art
Medical professionals frequently interact with patients who have communicable diseases. When treating such patients, the medical professional must take care not become infected or ill due to the microorganisms or pathogens related to the disease. This is frequently accomplished by donning a medical gown. These medical gowns are sometimes referred to as an “isolation gown.”
One problem associated with prior art medical gowns involves their construction. When multiple parts of the gown are sewn together, the resulting seam can act as a pathway for pathogens and other infections substances to pass through the medical gown. Such pathways put the medical services provider at risk of becoming ill. It would be advantageous to have a gown that overcomes some of the issues associated with prior art medical gowns.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.